MINNEAPOLIS—The economy in this metro area keeps chugging along and the industrial sector in particular has been vibrant for some time. The Opus Group's new contract with Houston-based CenterPoint Energy Inc. to design and construct a 64,000 square foot warehouse and office facility in suburban Golden Valley represents just the latest of many recent construction projects.

“CenterPoint has a number of older facilities in the area and their goal is to centralize resources,” Jessica Coyle, a project manager with Opus Design Build, LLC, tells GlobeSt.com. The new building will serve as the home base for the energy delivery company's local operations. Located near the intersection of Douglas Dr. North and Golden Valley Rd., it will include 43,400 square feet of warehouse space with 28' clear height, two stories of office space totaling 20,600 square feet and ample parking.

Industrial construction is becoming common in the Twin Cities. According to Colliers International, developers completed 686,500 square feet of speculative space during the first quarter. In addition, Colliers expects builders to deliver 1.5 million square feet of speculative space in the second and third quarters. Room & Board, Wurth Adams, Blu Dot, Fedex and other companies also had build-to-suit projects underway this year.